'Stargate,' 'Prisoner' bode well for fall TV

Jamie Campbell-Bower still has sand in his luggage from his stint
shooting "The Prisoner" in Namibia. The British actor plays Ian
McKellan's son in the re-imagining of the 1960s thriller. (Nelvin C.
Cepeda / Union-Tribune)

Jamie Campbell-Bower still has sand in his luggage from his stint
shooting "The Prisoner" in Namibia. The British actor plays Ian
McKellan's son in the re-imagining of the 1960s thriller. (Nelvin C.
Cepeda / Union-Tribune)

At the panel for "The Prisoner," Jim Caviezel said AMC's remake keeps the
spirit of the original mystery starring Patrick McGoohan. (Nelvin C.
Cepeda / Union-Tribune)

With “Battlestar Galactica” sailing into the sunset, “Lost” signing off next year, and “Heroes,” “Chuck” and “Dollhouse” fighting for their lives, our not-too-distant TV future is looking a little bleak. But yesterday at Comic-Con, a few promising shows did their best to prove there could be light at the end of our sci-fi TV apocalypse.

First up was the SyFy channel's “Stargate Universe,” the latest addition to the “Stargate” franchise that includes 1997's “Stargate SG-1” and 2004's “Stargate Atlantis.” The new series stars “Full Monty” hero Robert Carlyle as the unofficial leader of a raggedy band of battle-scarred survivors who are stuck in space.

Or as Carlyle's character informed his alarmed charges during the high-octane preview clip, “I'm sorry to tell you that we won't be going home.”

In a genial panel featuring co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper and most of the cast (including Carlyle, Ming-Na and the charming David Blue), the fans were told to expect a show that is darker and grittier than “Stargates” past, but with a sense of humor and hope that will keep viewers from searching for the nearest escape hatch.

According to Wright, “Stargate Universe” will also be accessible to the newbie viewers. Although with “SG-1” and “Atlantis” repeats in near-constant rotation on SyFy, he's not sure how anyone can be a newbie at this point.

“It's on TV all day now!” co-creator Wright bellowed playfully at the sheepish few in the ballroom who admitted to having never seen the show before.

The new “Stargate Universe” premieres on SyFy in October, and if you don't like it, don't blame Blue. The admitted “Stargate” geek — who played Marc's huggable boyfriend Cliff on “Ugly Betty” — is the show's official “gate” keeper. And it's a job he takes quite seriously.

“For me, it's a matter of pride to be part of (the show), but there is an immense responsibility in every scene to get it right for you.”

While SyFy is hoping “Stargate Universe” will keep a storied franchise alive and soaring, AMC is betting that its remake of “The Prisoner” will help solidify its newly minted reputation as the purveyor of such quality cable fare as “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad.”

If the first-class sneak preview that aired during yesterday's panel is any indication of the dramatic riches to come in November, AMC could hit the jackpot.

Filmed in Namibia, this sweeping re-imagining of the late Patrick McGoohan's 1968 mystery about a government agent trapped in a surreal village has the high-class gleam and glinting intelligence you would expect from an AMC original drama.

The show stars Jim Caviezel of “The Passion of the Christ” as “Six,” the show's haunted hero. It also stars Sir Ian McKellen as “Two,” the suave villain who makes life such a Kafkaesque nightmare for Caviezel's character.

“I still hate him he's so good,” the soft-spoken Caviezel said of his legendary co-star.

As for the six-part miniseries, prepare to be as dazed and confused as the prisoner himself.